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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Like so many others, I have a pretty serious addiction to peanut butter. As in, I think I have 6-8 jars of various flavors and types in my pantry and refrigerator right now (Target now carries a Vanilla Cranberry flavor - are you kidding me??). And given that Caroline is prone to allergies, I was terrified that she'd be allergic, but lo and behold, she isn't! And she loves it! I still remember giving her her first taste, and how her face absolutely lit up when she tried it. PB&J is her standard lunch, but imagine how insane it becomes when its made on... wait for it... PB&J bread!

I have become quite taken with yeast breads, and King Arthur Flour is pretty much a limitless resource for all things bread. This bread immediately caught my eye, and I set right out to make it. It is basically a honey-oatmeal bread with a PB&J swirl. Much like a cinnamon-raisin swirl in other breads. The bread itself is great on its own, and would make a fantastic sandwich bread, but adding the swirl really takes it to the next level. I wasn't thinking clearly and I rolled mine from the wrong side, so that's why the swirl pattern isn't quite perfect, but trust me when I say that it still tasted fantastic. And using this for French toast... well...its pretty much out of this world.

Combine the ingredients for the oat mixture in a small bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until the oats have softened. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast, honey, and warm water. Mix at low speed to just combine. Add the oats mixture and the whole wheat flour and the all-purpose flour, and mix to form a dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead until a smooth and satiny ball has formed, about 5-8 minutes, adding more flour as needed.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and allow to rise about 1 1/2 hours, or until its doubled in bulk. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just a little to expel any air bubbles, then roll out into a 10x12 inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the peanut butter, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Spread the jelly on top of the peanut butter.

Fold the edges over the peanut butter and jelly, then roll in a tight log, starting with the short end of the dough. Place in the prepared loaf pan, and allow to rise until the dough has puffed and cleared the top of the loaf pan, about 45 min- one hour. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool completely before slicing.

PB&J is the perfect snack for kiddos. It sucks that our daycare is pnut free so I really have to think hard when preparing lunches. Luckily, that means a PB&J for supper is always an option in a pinch.

I guess I shouldn't whine about daycare rules - packing a lunch is much less stress than worrying about an allergic child being exposed to pnuts.

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